Magnetic ore-separator



H. W. ARNOLD. MAGNETIC QRE-SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1917.

Patented Dec. 14

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

H. W. ARNOLD.

MAGNETIC ORE SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV:17.1917.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

w a M m H. W. ARNOLD. MAGNETIC. ORE SEPARATOR- APPLICATION FILED NOV: 17. 1917.

W m amiaaa mgmnm E= W M 2 2 MW, k

UNITED STATES HORACE ARNOLD, OF VANCOUVER,'WASHINGTON.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE WADE An- 7 non), citizen of the United States, residing at. Vancouver, in the county of Clarke and State of Washington, have inve'nted certain new and usefuldmprovements in Magnetic Ore-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to magnetic ore separators, and more particularly that type comprising a drum adapted to revolve in the path of travel 'of a liquid holding in partial suspension the magnetic and non-magnetic bodies desired to be separated.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical magnetic separator of the above general character which willbe reliable in use and operation. A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above character which may be easily controlled and adjusted, whereby the magnetic bodies are more easily and accurately separated according to their magnetic qualities.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexeddrawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and .in the unique relations of the members'and in the relative proportioning anddisposition thereof, all as more completely outlined herein.

T 0 enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features of this invention that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a partof this disclosure, and insuch drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views; in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

' F ig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a semi-diagrammaticview showing the manner in which the revolving drum is electrically wound;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view 'taken on 'line-5-5, Fig. 4;;

Fi s/6 and 7 are detail views at ri ht alla V b MAGNETIC ORE-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 14, 1920, Application filed November 17, 1917. Serial No. 202,483.

' gles to each other showing the electrical terminal connections.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Fig. 1, 11 represents a drum mounted on a shaft 12 driven by pulley 12 and supported in end bearings of non-magnetic material having an inlet;

apron 18 at one side and an outlet apron 2O 1 at the other. Within the drum are disposed a plurality of electro-magnets 25 having suitable connections whereby the drum is magnetized during a portion of its revolution as will be hereinafter more fully explained. A suitable fluid, such as water containing the finely ground ore, is admitted over the apron 18 adjustably positioned by means of set screw 19 at one side of the drum,-as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thence passes under the drum and out the opposite side over the spill-way 20 adjustably set by screws 21.

At the bottom of the trough there are provided two discharge openings adapted to be closed by sliding gates 22 and 38-held respectively in adjusted position'by means of set screws 23 and 39 respectively. Between these gatesv which may be opened and closed to any desired degree is a vertically disposed partition 36 mounted upon end trunnions 37, whereby the same may be tilted from one side to the other as desired. If deemed necessary one or more other gates may be propass out through the opening provided by the gate 22 and fall preferably upon the buckets on an endless conveyer therebelo-w not shown in the drawings. The bodies responding only f'eebly to ma gnetic attraction and which will not adhere to the drum against the action of gravity will be carried partly up toward the scraper 43 and then fall back and pass out through the opening closed by the gate 38 onto a second conveyer not shown. The provision of the door 17 permits the collection at that point of bodies having a greater affinity for the magnets than those last described, but not such an aflinity as will cause them to be carried Each series of these electro-magnets is connected in the same electric circuit, the magnets of one series being f one polarity and the magnets of the other series having opposite polarity.

,By reference to Fi s. 6 and 7 it will be seen that a rin'g or co lar, 32 is securely and permanently attached to the frame onwhich ..the magnets are mountq'd.- It will be observed that the. upper terminals of the series of magnets 26 are connected to the ring 32, while the lower terminals of the series of magnets 27 are also connected to the ring. The lower terminals of the series 26 are connected to respective segments 35 of a commutator, while the upper terminals of the series 27 are. connected to alternate commutator segments 35: An are shaped brush 3-1 is carried by the bearing 13 and-is designed to be engaged by the commutator segments 35 as the latter rotate. The brush 34 is connected with one side of a source of current (not shown) while the brush 33 engages the ring 32, as shown in Fig. 1, and is connected to the opposite side of the source of'current. The brush 34 may be shifted either to the right of left in any desired manner, to control the magnets with which it is in electri cal, contact through the blades 35, thereby materialsuch as Zinc regulating'the time of magnetization of the series.

Thus by reference to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the adjustable member 34 engages less than half of the blades 35, and by reference to Fig. 4 is will be seen that when so connected only the lower portion of the magnets in the magnetic drum will be magnetized.

-It. is of course, to be understood that this drum 11' is made of suitable non-magnetic and is of water-tight construction. 1 j n In Fig. 4 it will be seen that the poles of the magnets are shown slightly separated by insulation to avoid short circuiting. These poles of the magnets are cast ormade rectangular in form so that when the electromagnets are placed in position on the frame- @81 1; of the drum the poles will present a heads from the tails is carried on while the materials to be separated are submerged in water, for the buoyancy of the water operates to give to the particles greater freedom to separate from each other'and become disentangled from each other than would be the case if it were not for the water. operating this device, the drum is rotated in the direction of the arrow, so that the side of the drum next to where the water and material is fed in travels downwardly. -The mixture to be separated is mingled with water as it is delivered into the machine over apron 18, so that the material is scattered evenly across the entire face of the magnetic drum 11,-as the water and material flow against the drum.

The current of the water. as it comes against the drum should have substantially the same velocity as the rotation of the drum, and the flow should be sufficient to wash the heads out on the delivery side, but not to wash the tailings out of the bottom. The speed and volume of the flow is regulated by. proper appliances where the water and the materials to be separated are mixed.-

The particles to be separated by this contrivance being mixed with water as they are fed into it and submerged by it, by reason of the buoyancy of the water, more easily move in the direction in which they may be attracted. l

The sliding apron 18 is adjusted so as to bring the water and material mixed with it close up to the drum, the distance therefrom being varied to suit the size of the material to be separated and the quantity fed into .it. The same explanation applies to t'he Y'sliding apron 20 on theideliveryside, with reference to the heads, and also with reference to the sliding doors or gates 22 and 38 at the bot tom of the trough. These various aprons or sliding gates are provided with set screws ,as above explained to hold them in position when they are once adjusted.

The magnetic drum 'as it rotates is brought in close proximity to every particle that is fed against it, and the brush on the commutator is so adjusted that each successive electro-magnet as it travels downwardly during the rotation of'the drum is magnetized as it reaches a predetermined point with respect to the Water line adjacent the apron where the material is fed. It is to be noted that the brush on the commutator should be so adjusted that the magcitation of the magnets wouldtend to cause the material fed, against the to pile up and some of the tails would inevitably be entangled among the heads and held there during the complete circumference traveled by the materials to the outlet apron. It is thereforeadvisable that the excitation of the magnets take place suiiiciently below the waterline to give the material a free drop from the edge of the apron before it is subjected. to magnetic attraction.

The electro-magnets exert their magnetic power through the skin or water-jacket which surrounds the electro-ma-gnetic drum, and the particles of the materials to be separated that are subject to the ma etic at-' traction are drawn up against the rum, and are held thereagainst as the drum rotates downwardly following the current of the Water. The magnetic attraction holds the particles against the face of the drum as the drum rotates and carries them around to the point of delivery, and the non-magnetic particles drop away by the force of gravity into thetrough, then through the openings provided at the bottom as tailings, which maybe removed by buckets on an endless chain conveyer or some other convenient method.

The particles that are sufliciently magagainst the force of gravity to the delivery apron 20 are there removed by the scraper V 44, brush 34 at that point uncovering the respective blade of the commutator connected with the electro-magnet at that point adjacent the scraper.

As the drum rotates, the magnetic pafrti- 01% that are attracted arecarried at first 1n the same direction in which the force of gravity operates, so that the" operation of netic to be carried up by the magnets the force of gravity and'the action of the machine coincide; but as' soon as the parti cles reach the lowest point of the rotation 1 of the drum they arethen lifted against the force of gravity. Here iswhere the parting strip or division slide 36 becomes operative. There are some finely divided mineral substances foundin certain ores and sands so are sorted from the tailings w ich fall on the near side of the parting strip and which have no magnetic attraction at all.

By this means the particles of ore or meproper receptacle.

i Under all circumstances, the height of the ma tallic substances which may be strongly magnetic are held firmly against the face of k attraction, they are then carried over the delivery spout by the flow of water into a The non-magnetic particles fall to the bottom of the trough on the near side of the parting strip. They are drawn away through the opening at the bottom as tailings, with such a flow of water as may be permitted to pass through that opening, but those of such low magnetic susceptibility as are not held by the attraction of the magnets of the cylinder against "the force of gravity on the rise, fall on the far side of the parting strip and are sorted the water in the trough should be kept so that it flows over the delivery end into the delivery spout. If the water is not kept up tothat levelthe heads as they are delivered at the delivery end will not be thrown over into the proper place.

The intensity of the magnetic attraction exerted by the magnetic cylinder maybe regulated ,by making an appropriate alteration in the strength of the electrical current that is delivered to the magnet windings. That is, if it is desired'to increase the magnetic attraction of this cylinder, 'so as to hold with a stronger attraction partieles which ma be magnetically susceptible only in aslig tdegree the electrical current is correspondingly increased.

It may also be noted that a'bettr'sortin of thematerials is obtained when submerged," in water or other liquid whereby the buoyeratlon by giving greater freedom to particles to move in response. to the attractions of gravity and also the forceexerted thereon by the magnets. This arrangement also enables the magnetic force exertedby ets to hold the materials of wea susceptibility to magnetization more evenly and deposit them in separate compartments as previously explained which could not be done unless the materials were acted upon by the buoyancy of the liquid. For examplehematite and platinum are feebly susceptible to the magnetic attraction andboth can be separated from beach and river sand only with the assistance of the buoyancy of water.

the liquid in which the, material. is submerged the more successful is'the operation.

Thus sea water is much more "efiicient than 125 f fresh water.

In fact. the greater the density. of-

-The capacit of this machine to handle a larger or sma ler quantity of material, may

be increased or diminished by increasing the revolutions of the cylinder up to a certain point, and also by building the cylinder longer. The machine may be made with a short cylinder of only a few inches diameter and a few feet in length, or it may be made with a cylinder larger in diameter and many feet long. Its capacity can be enormously increased by these two methods.

Of course the increasing for capacity by increasing the revolutions of the cylinder has certain limitations and the feature of centrifugal force must necessarily be taken into consideration. In other words to make the operation successful with an increased speed of revolution the electrical current put through the magnets must be correspondingly increased, but even then this correlation reaches the limit beyond which the speed cannot go. This however would be clear to those skilled in the art and experiments would shortly determine the maximum speed at which the drum could be revolved with the desired degree of efficiency.

It is thus seen that the present invention is believed to accomplish. among others all of the objects and advantages herein set forth. 1

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific form shown and described.- Having thus described my invention what I claim as new-and ters Patent is:

1. In a magnetic separator in combination, a magneticdrum having a plurality of magnets therein adapted to attract material to the drum, a water-tight casing inclosing said desire to secure by Letmagnets, a trough in which said drum is adapted to revolve, an adjustable inlet apron by means of which water and material are introduced to said trough and an outlet by means of which water and material are discharged, said aprons being arranged atopposite sides of the trough, and "means for removing the tailings from the bottom of said trough, said means including an adjustable gate and a partition adjacent the gate adapted to separate the tailings from particles'having only slight afiinity for the nets within said drum, a ring secured to the.

drum, the upper terminals of alternate rows of magnets being connected with said ring,

the lower terminals of the remaining rows of magnets being connected with said ring, stationary bearings for said shaft, a commutator carried by the shaft and rotatable therewith, and being provided with projecting insulated segments, each of the rows of magnets being connected to' one of the segments, and the brush arranged to engage a plurality of segments simultaneously.

3. In a magnetic separator, a drum, a shaft supporting the drum, means for rotating theshaft, a plurality of rows of magnets within said drum, a ring secured to the drum, the upper terminals of alternate rows of magnets being connected with said ring, the lower terminals of the remaining rows of magnets being conected with said ring, stationary bearings for said shaft, a commutator carried by the shaft and rotatable therewith, and being provided with project-.

ing insulated segments, each of the rows of magnets being connected to one of the segments, and" an are. shaped brush concentric with said commutator and adjustable" to different positions, said brush'being arranged to engage a plurality of segments simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I' afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE WADE ARNOLD. \Vitnesses:

MILTON EVANS, MILDRED BEH'ERNS. 

